


Screw Up

by GreenArchitect



Series: Tumblr Prompts [20]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-06 23:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4241418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenArchitect/pseuds/GreenArchitect
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>elfism4hyukjae said: <br/>I thought of this while at work and figured that only you could do it justice prompt: Arthur hurts Eames feelings unintentionally and has to do something drastic to fix it. I'm not sure if I want you to au it or not</p>
            </blockquote>





	Screw Up

“Arthur do put some clothes on.” Eames sighed as he stepped into their hotel room to find Arthur stretched out on his stomach, completely nude. Arthur made a derisive noise and didn’t move. Eames huffed and went about peeling his shirt off. Damn him and the jungle heat! The forger sighed again and padded into the bathroom, hoping by the time he finished his shower Arthur would cover up. *********************** Not only had Arthur not covered up but the git had turned over and stretched out like a unashamed starfish. “For the love of-!” Eames grumbled and drew a sheet over the smirking pointman.  
“Don’t act like such a prude. Not really your style.” Arthur chuckled and stretched like a very self satisfied cat.  
“Not my what?” Eames cocked his head to the side, not quite wanting to believe what the other was implying.   
“Come on Eames, you’re not exactly innocent.” Arthur was still grinning like they were having a lark while Eames was just barely containing his shock.   
“Well you’re no Virgin Mary yourself, darling"   
Arthur didn’t catch Eames tone change because he was too busy laughing. "True but I also don’t act like I’m going to hook up with ever hot looking guy within a 10 mile radius.” Eames went completely red at that. Did Arthur think he was some kind of slut? Obviously he did. Well then, didn’t that just smart. Eames had hoped that underneath the condescension that Arthur really did respect him as a colleague. Apparently he just saw him as a cheap floosy, no better than an office whore. Well then that changed everything. ************ Arthur noticed the change in Eames almost immediately and at first he liked the more subdued and, dare he say it, professional manner the man had suddenly adopted. He liked it until the end of the job when, rather than try to cajole him into a Celebratory drink, Eames packed up his things and left with a curt nod. The whole thing was so out of character that Arthur first touched his totem and then he started digging for information. ***************** Eames shouldn’t have been surprised at how quickly Arthur figured it out. He was surprised at the letter he received. “Why Arthur, you do have a heart.” Eames snorted but couldn’t help but be warmed by the surprisingly heartfelt apology that the pointman had penned. He was still pissed though, so rather than respond he decided to let Arthur simmer a bit, even if deep down he wanted to forgive the man and return to their usual sexually charged banter.  ************ “Eames how the hell did you get an invite to this?! This is like a members only kind of event?” Ariadne pulled Eames to side and lowered her voice. “Did you forge the invitations?”  
“You’re making me regret inviting you, pet. No, I did not forge them, they were a gift.” What he didn’t say was that the gift was from a still repenting Arthur. Eames really had considered calling the man after he received the much coveted oppurtunity to see a newly discovered Van Gogh but he just couldn’t. Sure the gift was incredibly thoughtful and the letter proved that Arthur was genuinely sorry but neither showed that he understood why Eames was hurt. The forger knew, or at the very least hoped, that the pointman would figure it out because Eames’ honestly didn’t want to talk about. In the mean time he was going to enjoy the painting and later smoke one of those lovely Cuban cigars Arthur had sent. And if Ariadne managed to not be a little beastie, she would be invited as well. ******************* “Well Eames, I gotta say you turned out to be everything I was told you were.” Steve, the rather rotund and robust Texan clapped Eames on the shoulder roughly enough to make him stumble a bit. “You’re a hell of a forger!”  
“Well thank you for that. I try to live up to the hype.” Eames gave him a short smile and continued his clean up without further comment, hoping the obnoxious man would shut up. Steve continued.  
“I honestly thought Arthur was overselling you. Thought he was being a bit gay about it, if you know what I mean.” Eames felt instant and intense annoyance for Steve but a slow blooming affection for Arthur who had obviously been behind his recent boom in high paying and interesting jobs in both Dreamshare and forgery. At the end of each job came the revelation that he had been highly recommended by the pointman. Apparently, Arthur had even changed the minds of several major players in Dreamshare that Eames had burned bridges with early in his career. Arthur finally got it. He understood that it wasn’t about implying that he had a lot of sex; Eames made no bones about enjoying men and women. It was the implication that Eames was not worthy of respect. “He’s a damn good point man but I’m pretty sure he’s one of them fruity faggots.” ****************  
In hindsight punching Steve wasn’t the best idea but if it made Arthur grin the way he did when Eames saw him again.  
“You shouldn’t have broken Steve’s nose, Mr. Eames.” Dear God, he’d missed hearing him say his name like that. One part stern, one part amused.  
“He shouldn’t have called you something so terrible.” Eames put on an air of indifference but Arthur touched his shoulder lightly, face sober.  
“After I insulted you I think I deserve it.”  
“Darling, I-”  
“No, I’m serious. I was beyond unprofessional and more importantly I was completely out of line. I was so wrapped up in trying to get your attention that I completely fucked it up. I’m really sorry, Eames, and I totally get it if you never want to work with me again- why are you laughing?”  
“The whole stretching your fine self out like some nude model was a seduction attempt?! A bit heavy handed don’t you think?” Eames snorted and looked at Atthur incredulously.“ You are a colossal berk. That is by far the worst attempt I’ve ever witnessed. How was basically calling me a whore going to make me want to shag you?” Of all the outcomes this wasn’t even close to what Eames had considered.  
“That part was a mistake! You weren’t reacting so I panicked and started to improvise. You know I hate improvising.” Eames hardly held back his laughter as Arthur began rambling about the importance of careful planning and research, blah blah blah. Eames only half listened as he was more taken with the way Arthur’s ears were flushing with embarrassment and, well, that just made Eames want to kiss him until he was breathless. Which might have earned him a broken nose. Or not. Arthur was apparently interested after all.   
“Why the nudity?” Eames cut him off mid rant and Arthur looked even more fetching in his confusion.  
“You didn’t notice anything else! I wore pants so tight I think I’ve ruined any possibility of having kids and you didn’t even notice.” Oh.  
“I noticed alright, and got a month of blue balls for my trouble. So those bespoke trousers were for me, eh?” Eames was equal parts mystified and smug. “With all this dramatic irony I feel like we’re characters in a Shakespearean play.” He paused to take Arthur’s hand gently. “Darling you’ve always had my attention. Why do you think I flirt with you so much?”  
“But you never took it any further.” Arthur was pointing at him, still trying to recover from his earlier embarrassment.   
“Neither did you.” Eames easily deflected.  
“I didn’t know you were interested!” Arthur protested weakly and Eames could only chuckle and stroke Arthur’s palm soothingly.  
“You do now. What now, then?” Eames inched closer and smirked when the pointman gulped audibly.  
“Dinner?”  
“Promise me one thing first, darling.” Eames was close enough that he’d only need to lean in to kiss Arthur the way he wanted.  
“Yeah? Whatever you want.” Oh really?! Eames nearly diverted what he was about to say but this was too good. He was sure he’d be able to still make some filthy demands later.  
“Promise me you’ll never improvise again when it comes to seducing me.”  
“Shut up, Eames. You’re ruining this."   
"I’d challenge you to make me but then you might improvise and say something terrible about mum.” Arthur groaned and Eames gave into temptation and kissed him until they were both breathless.


End file.
